


The Startup.

by heyitsnxel



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-07-09 13:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19888582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyitsnxel/pseuds/heyitsnxel
Summary: Working for a startup was never meant to be the start of a new career for Phil. But then again, it wasn't supposed to be the start of a new relationship either.





	1. Chapter 1

The number of papers stacked on the corner of Phil’s desk was enough to make him want to turn around and walk right back out the front door he’d just come in. Whoever had left them there in the first place had put them precariously close to the edge, as if they were just waiting for someone to walk in and knock them over. Phil's day had already started off badly. First, his phone alarm hadn’t gone off causing him to wake up panicked, late, and rushing to take a cold shower - since his hot water apparently wasn’t working. There was no time for him to brew a pot of coffee, so he’d ended up leaving his flat without any caffeine and in a bad mood. Now he was greeted with what looked like a hell of a lot of data entry work and he knew the day was ruined from the start.

Phil enjoyed his job for the most part. Signing on to work for a new startup company was way more fun than the supermarket job he’d had before, even if the work was a bit more tedious. Plus, it helped that he actually liked his boss and co-workers. As cliche as it sounds, everyone reminded him of a little family. Living alone in such a big city, a family was something Phil desperately needed.

Glancing around the room, Phil sighed, noticing most of the desks were still empty. Apparently everyone else was running late today, too. Lily, one of Phil’s first work friends, sat at the far end of the room, headphones slipped over her dark hair and gaze intently focused on the screen in front of her. Her fingers frantically flew across the keyboard, typing so quickly Phil was sure he’d have to edit whatever she was typing later. For now, he wasn’t going to bother her. Other than Lily, it seemed it was just Phil and his boss Ryan, who was currently pacing around his office behind the closed door. The rest of the room was just a series of desks. No walls, nothing in between them. Just desks.

A lot of their office projects required them to work together, input from every team member required. So instead of communicating via emails and half assed text messages, Ryan had an “open office policy.” Most of the day was spent having conversations across the room. Plus, if anyone really needed to solitude, there was an unused office next to Ryan’s that had a door. Phil had never seen anyone use it.

By the time Phil’s co-workers had finally started to saunter in, he'd already starting typing. When he assumed it was a lot of data entry work, he'd been correct. There was no way that it was all going to get done today.

It didn’t take long for his brain began to feel like mush. All the letters on the page were all mixing together into unintelligible jibberish, which turned into exactly what Phil was typing. That resulted in the screen being filled with absolute nonsense that had to be deleted and typed all over again. If he wasn’t at work, he would have screamed out of frustration. But, that _frustration_ didn’t compare to the level of downright **anger** he was about to feel.

The front door swung open, slamming loudly against the wall, and a brunette Phil had never seen before awkwardly fumbled inside. He was clearly in a hurry, shirt halfway untucked and hair still damp – presumably from a shower. Casting a nervous glance around the room, he made a beeline for Ryan’s office.

And straight past Phil’s desk.

Time slowed down as the two made eye contact, their gaze simultaneously falling to the stack of papers swaying on the desk. As if they were taunting him, the papers seemed to hesitate before tipping over and falling all over the floor, strewing all across the tiles and underneath desks. The other man was already stammering out a string of nervous apologies, his words mixing up into jumbled chaos just like what Phil had been typing on the screen moments prior. On any other day, Phil would have internalized his anger. He would have held it in and screamed into a pillow when he had gotten home. He would have passed it off with a tense ‘don’t worry about it’ and went about his day.

But today – Oh, today, he was definitely not doing that. His eyes shot up into a glare at the man, slamming a hand down on his desk in frustration that shook the rest of its’ contents.

“Are you kidding me? Do you even know how long that’s going to take to fix?”

The brunette had dropped to the floor, scooping the papers back up into a messy pile. He flinched slightly, looking away from Phil and towards Lily on the other side of the room. Her mouth fell agape, eyes wide. Nearly everyone else in the room mirrored the same expression, watching the interaction.

Phil didn’t care about the flush that was creeping up the brunette’s face or the fact he was only stammering over apologies more. He didn’t even care that he was causing a scene. He practically growled, snatching the papers out of his hand, before the stranger scampered away into Ryan’s office without even knocking on the door.

* * *

It took some time but Phil finally managed to get the papers back in order and have almost half of them typed by the time Ryan’s door swung open and the brunette stepped out. Phil glanced up at the sound of the door, immediately regretting it when they made eye contact. Phil dropped his eyes to the top of his desk, trying to hide the growing embarrassment that was creeping through him. Whoever this guy was, he definitely looked paler than he had when he first walked in. His hair was disheveled now as if he had been running his hands through it over and over. Overall, his demeanor was worse than when he showed up. Phil was pretty sure that was at least partially his fault.

Ryan stepped out behind him, placing a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder, before an obnoxiously loud whistle left his lips. Everyone who wasn’t already looking heads snapped up, headphones slipped off to rest around their shoulders, waiting expectantly.

“Sorry, I’ve been holed up in my office all morning. I know I’m usually out here with you guys, but I had some business to attend to.” Ryan’s eyes fell next to him, gently shoving the curly-haired man forward. He seemed to shrink in on himself as everyone’s eyes shifted to him. “You already know that I didn’t start this place by myself. I’ve mentioned countless times that you’d meet my partner and tada! Now you finally can. Everyone this is Dan.”

Oh no.

_Oh no._

**_Oh no._ **

Phil could feel the blood draining from his face. He had yelled at, embarrassed, and gave the absolute worst first impression to the guy who essentially started this whole company? This guy was pretty much his boss now! How was Phil supposed to know that? He looked like he was barely in his twenties.

Dan awkwardly nodded in lieu of an actual introduction, shrugging Ryan’s hand off his shoulder as he glanced around the room. His eyes met Phil’s once again and he forced smiled before looking away.

“He’s going to be hanging around for the next… week? Month? Do you have a plan, Dan?” Ryan chuckled at the rhyme, earning a groan from a few of the people in the office.

“We’ll see.”

That was all Dan said, in a voice so quiet Phil barely heard him, before he dipped back inside Ryan’s office letting the door shut with a click behind him. Ryan’s gaze followed him, sighing as the door shut. For the first time, his expression turned slightly stern.

“Be nice to him, okay? He’s nervous and well… a lot younger than some of you. Try to remember how you felt when you were in your twenties. I know that’ll be hard for you, Joel.” Ryan winked at one of the older members of the office, who simply rolled his eyes in return. “Just, treat him like you’d treat me and he’ll open up.”

Everyone nodded, the whole room instantly buzzing about Dan and speculating about his personality. In an office so small, everyone knew pretty much everything about everyone. Having a new person around was way more exciting than the fact someone had bought better coffee for the office or the new update of the email app they used. 

Phil was not feeling the excitement.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a dreary Sunday night the first time Phil remembered meeting Ryan. He had come walking into Tesco, jacket slung over his shoulder, and eyes firmly planted on the shelf of wine near the front entrance. Phil hadn’t cared. He'd gotten stuck with the night shift and was perfectly content sulking behind the register until someone came in and told him to go home.

“Do you drink?” He’d asked from in front of the wine, pulling Phil out of his daze.

He found himself nodding, “Sometimes.”

"Got any wine suggestions for someone who hasn't drunk in a long time but really needs to relax and that won’t make them overly emotional? I’ve heard wine can do that.”

Phil's face scrunched up at the oddly specific request. People barely acknowledged his existence, much less asked him a hyper-specific question about anything. Reluctantly, he moved from behind the register and made his way towards the shelf. He didn’t have much experience with wine. If he drank at all he preferred liquor, but an old friend of his always seemed to favor the white, fruity ones. So, that’s what he’d recommended. Ryan had sighed in relief, immediately thanking Phil far more than he thought was necessary. All he had done was suggest a wine. It wasn’t like he did anything spectacular. 

“You’re a lifesaver,” He grinned, placing the bottle on the counter. He’d snagged a candy bar off the shelf, as well. “They’re not picky, perse. I just don’t know the first thing about alcohol that isn’t liquor.”  


11

“It’s no problem.” Phil forced a smile, customer service voice on, as he put the wine and the chocolate bar in a bag. Before he could say the total, Ryan was already swiping his credit card and grabbing the bag off the counter.

“You look miserable…” His eyes trailed down to the nametag pinned on the front of Phil’s shirt, “…Phil. If I’m being honest.”

Phil wondered if he should be offended. Before he really had time to dwell on it, Ryan had shoved a business card in his hand. ‘ ** _Ryan Lee – Socialize X_** ’ was typed across the top, phone number and email to follow.

“Call me. You seem like you’d fit in better working for me.”

* * *

As weird as the encounter had been, Phil looked into Socialize X as soon as he got back to his flat. Unfortunately, he found himself rolling his eyes the moment Google loaded their website. Of course it was a startup - Backed by a lot of online support, but still. Companies like this weren’t always the most reliable, and maybe he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up, but he wanted this to be legit.

Digging further into the website, however, Phil found that this project genuinely appealed to him. The more details he read, the more excited he was growing about the potential new job.  
It was a mobile app, very similar to one of the far too many dating apps around, but it wasn’t for dating at all. It was for, well, pretty much anything else. It had all the good parts of social media and "socializing" apps smashed into one. From study groups to community service to just someone to hang out with, this app was something he would have killed to have during his Uni days.  
There was very little information listed about Ryan and his nameless partner. Just that they were obviously partners that had come up with the idea one evening and the rest “was history.” Now the app was in development and they were looking for help in multiple different areas of the team. Phil wasn’t sure what prodded Ryan to give him his card. For all he knew, Phil was just a cashier. No more, no less.

Unless he was stalking him. The thought made Phil cringe. Hastily, he pulled up his email account and wrote a quick message to Ryan informing him of his interest in working with him.

It snowballed from there.

They had met for coffee. Then lunch. Then dinner.

To anyone watching, it looked like they were dating. Both Phil and Ryan had found that idea equally funny as it was absurd, laughing about it over a glass of wine (red, ironically) one evening. It was that same evening that Ryan had officially extended a business offer to Phil and the rest, in the words of Socialize X’s social media page, “was history.”

* * *

The first day at the office was a shock to Phil. He had only been the fourth person employed for this project, excluding Ryan and his partner, so to say the team was sparse was an understatement. Ryan obviously didn't care, wasting no time in leading Phil around the room and introducing him to the other three who were already there. Explaining office procedure, he'd slapped a project onto his desk, and Phil didn’t see him for the rest of the day.  
  
  


“Phil, right?”

“Yeah,” Phil glanced up, taking in the woman in front of him. She was young, probably around his age. A stray curl had fallen loose from her bun, over the lenses of her glasses. She hastily blew it out of her face.

“Lily… Right?”

He winced as soon as he mimicked her question, silently cursing himself for being so socially inept.

“Yup!” Popping the ‘p’ on the end, Lily turned the chair around in front of Phil’s desk and sat down. Phil’s eyebrow rose uncertainly, confused as to what she was doing or why she was sitting there in the first place. It must have been obvious. Lily laughed, shaking her head slightly with a sigh. “Don’t think I’m picking on you because you’re the new guy, but, do you wanna run to Starbuck’s for us?”

Phil hadn’t noticed the other two staring at him from their desks until Lily nodded in their direction. Neither were making any effort to hide their hopeful expression.

“Sure, I don’t mind. My eyes are starting to burn from staring at the screen for so long anyway.”

"I like you already. Thanks." Lily grinned, snagging a yellow post-it off his desk and scribbled down what everyone wanted before sticking it to the front of Phil’s shirt with a smirk. With that, she sauntered back to her desk and slipped her headphones on before he even had a chance to say ‘you’re welcome.’  


Never in a million years did Phil think he and Lily would get along as well as they did. She was everything he wasn’t. Confident, beautiful, smart. She didn’t stumble over words in a conversation or say anything awkward. She seemed to have this unnatural ability to get along with everyone she met without even trying.

Phil was her polar opposite. He was awkward and conversations never came easy. He had niche interests so it was rare for him to click with anyone that wasn't an introverted nerd who played too many video games. So it came as a surprise when she started to eat lunch with him every day. Then started to bring him coffee. Then starting to go out after work. Their friendship only grew more and more as time went on and as odd as the pairing was, Phil considered her his best friend

.  
  
That’s why he wasn’t surprised when his phone buzzed in his pocket after Dan was introduced.  


_**Lily** _: omg  
_**Lily:**_ you totally went off on the boss today!!  
_**Lily**_ : looks like a kid though, so I don’t blame you, but still… yikes.

  
_**Phil:** D_on’t remind me :(

  
_**Lily**_ : drinks after work?

  
_**Phil:** _Yes, please.  
  
  
The rest of the day drug on painfully slow. Phil kept glancing at Ryan’s door, waiting for Dan to come back out and fire him or at the least chastise him for being a total dick. But, he didn’t. Even as Phil was slipping his coat on and holding the door open for Lily, Ryan’s door remained closed. The shades covering the windows that were usually open were drawn and Phil could only make out the faint silhouette of two people inside.

  
“What’re you staring at? Let’s go.”

Lily looped her arm through Phil, tugging him out the door and into the street.

* * *

As expected, McAllister's was as crowded it usually was on Thursdays. Empty beer mugs sat on top of almost every table, the bar itself jam-packed with people fighting to get the bartender's attention. Phil felt a pang of sympathy for the girl making everyone’s drinks. Lily didn’t seem to share the same attitude as she was quick to shove her way through the throng of people and shout a drink order to the girl.

“Lil. Have some manners.” Phil frowned.

Lily only rolled her eyes, “As you did with the kid this morning?”

Most days, Phil appreciated the unabashed bluntness of his best friend. Today, he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He _knew_ he had been horrible today and honestly? He didn’t want to be reminded of it. Lost in his thoughts, Phil barely noticed the cold drink being thrust in his hand and the fact his steps were following behind Lily’s to the corner booth they always sat in.  


“So, what’re you gonna do about the whole… ‘incident’?”  


“Cutting right to the chase, huh?” He groaned, turning the cup around in his hands. “I don’t know, Lil. I mean, obviously, apologize for it. But he’s just going to think I’m doing it because I know who he is now. It’s a lose, lose situation for me.”  


“You could buy him a drink.”  


Phil rolled his eyes. “What? How would I do that? ‘ _Hey, sorry I yelled at you. Come to the bar and let me buy you a drink._ ’ Yeah, that definitely wouldn’t be weird at all.”  
  


“No, I mean, buy him a drink now. He just walked in.”  


Phil turned, eyes locked onto the door. Ryan caught his eyes first, a very, very pale-faced Dan clinging to his sleeve. Lily was staring at him expectantly, perfectly drawn on eyebrows cocked up slightly in anticipation of what he was going to do. When it became clear Phil wasn’t actually going to do anything other than gape at the door, Lily sighed and waved Ryan and Dan over ignoring Phil’s pleading to not do that.

“Hey!” Ryan was practically manhandling Dan through the bar. It was clear he was not at all happy to be there judging by the ways his eyes were darting frantically around the room, frown etched across his lips. 

Another pang of sympathy coursed through Phil as he watched the interaction. He'd been in that situation far too many times before and he could only imagine how Dan must be feeling right now. 

A sudden realization hit Phil the closer Ryan and Dan got to the booth. There were only two options here. One, Lily could move and sit on the same side of the booth as him or two – the terrible option – either Dan or Ryan would end up sitting next to him and judging by the direction Ryan was swerving, it looked like Dan was going to be on his side. Phil could feel his skin crawl with nerves.  
As he'd expected, Ryan took the seat next to Lily and left Dan lingering nervously near the end of the table. He stood there for a moment before Ryan gave him a subtle glance that Phil almost didn’t notice. He sat down next to Phil... Or, to be more accurate, as far away from Phil as possible. He was literally hanging over the edge of the booth.

“Long time no see,” Ryan laughed, leaning back against the booth, “I figured some of you guys would be over here.”

  
It wasn’t uncommon for any of Phil’s coworkers to go out on any given night. He wasn’t much of an extrovert, but he did try to accompany them as often as he could mentally handle it. It was ‘ _good for his health_ ’ apparently. Phil chuckled, casting a glance at Dan out of the corner of his eye. Now that he was closer, and Phil wasn’t looking at him with the anger he had been this morning, he could truly see how nervous he was. In fact, Phil was sure it went beyond nerves. His leg had been tapping from the moment he sat down, his eyes only leaving the table to glance around the room, before going back to studying the wood grain on the table. Briefly, their gaze met and both were quick to look away. Ryan was already lost in a conversation, talking to Lily about something he had seen on Youtube as she typed away on her phone.

  
_**Lily**_ : get him that drink now, Lester.

Her text was accompanied by a sharp kick to his shin from under the table, the tip of her black high heel jamming right into the bone. He stifled a grunt of pain, glaring daggers across the table before he turned to Dan.

  
“So, uh, do you want a drink?”


	3. Chapter 3

Dan, as it turned out, didn’t drink. He told Phil so, voice breaking as he spoke.

“You don’t drink? At all? You know you’ll die without water, right?” Phil drew his hand to his chest in faux dismay, trying for a joke.

A split second of a smile flickered over Dan’s lips before he dropped his gaze back down towards his lap, fingers starting to drum against his thigh.

“I don’t drink alcohol.” He mumbled. He looked up, lips parted as if he were about to say more but Phil stupidly interrupted. 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you this morning,” He blurted out before he could even think to stop himself. Anxiously, he shot a glance towards the other side of the booth, relieved to find Ryan and Lily immersed into their own conversation.

* * *

Dan was staring at him when he turned, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a car - scared but frozen to the spot. Phil watched his face shift with every thought that seemed to pass through his head, emotions running rampant across his face. It settled back to his usual, blank demeanor as he finally replied.

“S’alright. I’m used to it.” 

The guilt from earlier hit Phil twofold like a slap to the face. It must have been obvious. Dan's lips quirked, a forced smile crossing his face. 

“Really, Phil. It’s alright. See you tomorrow?” Dan asked, awkwardly sliding off the edge of the booth. He kept himself pressed into the ledge of the table, extending a hand silently toward's Ryan. 

“Yeah,” Phil’s reply was on autopilot, curiously watching as Ryan dropped a set of keys into Dan’s open palm.

"You can lock up," Ryan smiled, patting the breast pocket of his jacket. "I have the spares."

"Kay." Dan nodded, edging his way from the table. He curled in on himself the further he drifted away from the group, only glancing over his shoulder once, nodding a silent goodbye to Phil.

* * *

Phil left shortly after, making up an excuse about a headache. He knew Lily didn't buy it, but she never did anyway. His phone chimed before he even made it home.

**_Lily:_ **did you apologize?

_**Phil:** _Yeah.

_**Lily:**_ and??

_**Phil:**_ He said he was used to it. I feel like a total jerk now >.<

_**Lily:** _ouch, time heals all wounds, bb. it’ll be okay.

  
  


Phil tossed the phone to his floor, hearing it land with a dull thud on top of a pile of unwashed laundry that sat in the corner of the room. Collapsing into bed, Phil groaned as he buried his face into the pillow. Tomorrow is a new day. It would be better.

* * *

Drifting.

That's what Phil felt like. He had drifted from his flat to work. He was drifting in and out of the conversation he was in. He was drifting his eyes to the door, waiting for Dan to come in.

(He never did.)

Ryan, uncharacteristically, was the last to show up shouting a good morning as he disappeared into his office. Unlike when Dan was there, the door remained open – as did the curtains – and he made no effort to hideaway. With a sigh, Phil succumbed himself to actually doing his work, giving up on seeing Dan show up at any point during the day.

* * *

In the end, the day had been the pleasant kind of monotonous Phil needed after yesterday and as an added bonus, it was a Friday. AKA, time for the weekend. He relished in the alone time he got to hang around his flat, catching up on the household chores he'd missed out during the rest of his busy week. Most of the time those "chores" included binge-watching Netflix, but hey, no one was judging him. It was his own personal way of charging his mental battery and letting his introversion take over and recoup from his weekdays constantly spent around people.

He ended up drifting through the weekend, as well.

* * *

Come Monday morning, Phil felt better than he had at all last week. Even before the whole Dan situation - as Lily was now calling it - had happened. He felt rejuvenated, and for once, a Monday morning felt good.

When he walked in, two coffees in hand, Phil wasn’t even surprised to see Lily already sitting at his desk. Her heels were propped on top of a box that sat underneath, her head tipped back so she was staring at the ceiling.

“You’re earlier than usual.” She commented, not even looking as she made a grab for the coffee. “What did you do all weekend? I texted you Saturday, you should have come out with us.”

Phil lingered, half expecting her to get up and let him have his chair. Taking a long sip of his coffee – and pretending he definitely didn’t just burn half his taste buds off – he shrugged again.

“Honestly? I just watched The Great British Bake Off and reveled in my own isolation.”

Lily opened her mouth to say something - probably to chastise him for ‘wasting his weekend’ – but before she got the chance, a familiar head of brown curls was brushing past his desk.

“Same.”

Phil barely had time to catch a glance of Dan as he walked by, he nodded once and gave Phil the faintest smile he’d ever received as he went into the office next to Ryan’s. Immediately the door and the curtains were shut and Phil was left staring towards the window.

“Huh,” Lily had followed Phil’s gaze to the office. “Well, at least he doesn’t seem mad at you.”

All Phil could do was nod. She wasn't wrong.

* * *

Dan remained in the office until well after lunchtime. Ryan hadn’t even gone near the room all day until about 2 pm, when he barged in without even knocking. Phil couldn’t help but watch the door expectantly. He didn’t know what this sudden obsession with Dan was. Maybe it was the fact he was so quiet and Phil was just curious. Maybe he was subconsciously wanting to make up for yelling at him.

Or maybe, it was the fact that Phil found him incredibly attractive.

(He’d ignore that thought for now.)

His staring paid off, however, as Dan was forcibly led out of the office and towards the front 

door, Ryan’s hand in his.

“Go get lunch, Dan.”

“But – “

“No buts. Just go.”

Dan looked absolutely dejected at the mere thought of going outside. Phil could sympathize with that. It didn’t seem to matter though. Ryan nudged Dan towards the door, dropping his hand and shooting him a reassuring smile, and Dan awkwardly stepped outside.

He cast a quick glance towards the office as the door was closing, catching Phil’s eye. It closed with a quiet thud and Phil was left staring at a piece of wood in place of where Dan once was.

If anyone asked what he was thinking in this moment, Phil would have to say he wasn’t. Without a second thought, he stood up from his desk, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, as he made his way outside.

Dan was still stood on the sidewalk, not even five steps away from the front door to the office by the time Phil got outside. He seemed to be heavily focused on either the sidewalk, or the top of his shoes, as he chewed his bottom lip to pieces. Phil couldn’t help but stare at him. The wind was tussling his hair, pushing the curls wildly in every direction. His cheeks were slowly starting to turn a bit pink from the chill. It was almost unfair how pretty he managed to look just standing on a sidewalk.

Phil shook his head, pushing all thoughts of that out of his head.

“Going to lunch?”

Clearly startled by Phil’s sudden appearance, Dan jumped.

“Ryan said I had to, so…”

“Want some company?”

Parts of Dan were as easy to read as an open book. Phil could see him weighing the options in his head just like he had at the bar. Finally, he nodded but he made no effort to move from where he stood. It took Phil far too long to realize he was waiting for him to lead the way.

* * *

The soles of Phil’s shoes thudded against the concrete, steps loud in comparison to Dan’s almost silent ones behind him. He wasn’t sure if he should try to make conversation or let the silence linger. In fact, he was starting to wonder what had possessed him to follow Dan out of the office in the first place. Dan didn’t seem to mind. When Phil turned to glance back at him, Dan was already staring in his direction. 

“So, Bake-Off, eh?”

* * *

As they sat in the Starbuck’s down the street, Phil got to see a side of Dan he hadn’t yet. A talkative one

.

It had taken a while to ease him into the conversation, stealing glances over the edge of his caramel macchiato as Dan quietly stared out the window, but once Phil hit the right question – which turned out to be anime-related – words started spilling from Dan’s mouth so fast that Phil had almost fallen out of his chair in sheer shock.

Behind his quiet personality, it seemed that Dan was jam-packed full of opinions and he was very articulate about expressing them. Phil couldn’t help but listen. It was like Dan almost commanded his attention, somehow making everything else fade into the background as he spoke. It was such a contrast from the boy he had seen at the office. A part of him wanted to ask him why. The way he spoke and how well informed he was about the things he spoke about would definitely interest a lot of people. If this was the Dan that had walked into the office last week, Phil knew for a fact he’d already be popular amongst the other coworkers.

But the reality was, this wasn’t the Dan he saw around the office. A bit of pride bloomed in Phil’s chest at the fact Dan was choosing to be so talkative to  _ him.  _ It was unrealistic to think it would last, but he’d take what he could get for the time being.

“You don’t usually talk this much,” Phil commented, tipping the last of his drink back.

Dan shrugged, suddenly becoming apologetic. “I know. I’m sorry. I get off on these tangents and it’s really hard to stop sometimes. I know it’s annoying. I - “

“Dan.”

“I - Yeah?”

“It’s not annoying.”


	4. Chapter 4

In the time it took them to walk back to the office, Dan had regressed to his usual silence. His rambling about London had begun trailing off the closer they got to the door and by the time Phil’s had was wrapped around the door handle, he’d completely shut up. Phil turned, ready to ask him if he was okay, but Dan was already brushing past him. He made a beeline for his office and shut the door, not sparing a glance to anything other than the floor.

“He went to lunch with you?” Phil hardly had a chance to wrap his head around the whole situation with Dan before Ryan was at his side, leaning way too into his personal space.His hand clamped down on Phil’s shoulder, steering him away from his own desk and towards his office.

Ryan’s hand fell from Phil’s shoulder as he slumped back into the plush, black office chair behind his desk. Picking a pen up off the desk, he began fidgeting with it before speaking.

“I’m glad he went to lunch with you. Dan just…” He trailed off, twirling a pen between his fingers. Phil watched as it slipped, hitting the desk. Ryan made no move to pick it up.

“He just has some issues socializing.”

Phil’s whole body was growing tenser by the second. This felt like he was intruding on Dan’s privacy. Whatever his “issues” were shouldn’t be at Ryan’s disposal to tell. It didn’t matter though. Ryan was already talking and Phil couldn’t stop himself from taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of him. 

“I know what you’re thinking.” He started. “It’s not my place to say anything about Dan’s personal life and you’re right. I’m just glad to see him getting along with someone.”

Nodding, Phil tapped his foot against the floor. 

Ryan continued, “I’m not telling you to be friends with him, but if he happens to like you and you happen to like him…”

The sentence hung in the air, unfinished but the look on Ryan’s face said more than words could have. Phil may not know everything – or  _ anything, _ really – about Dan’s life, but after their Starbuck’s lunch, he was sure they could be great friends given some time. 

* * *

Between lunch with Dan and the conversation with Ryan, Phil found himself distracted all day. Over half the work he needed to finish was still sitting in a pile on his desk, untouched, and it was already six o’clock. Instead of doing anything useful, however, he was invested in stacking a set of blank notecards - The boring, adult version of making a house of cards.

“Drinks?”

Phil fumbled with the notecards, sending them toppling all over his keyboard. A sigh left his lips as he glanced up towards Lily.

“It’s Monday. We usually at least make it to Wednesday.”

“Look, Lester, it was a long day. Are you really going to make your best friend go to the bar all by herself where she’ll get hit on by creepy men and end up in jail for beating them up?”

Phil let out a laugh at this, rolling his eyes, “Fine, whatever. Let me tell Ryan I’m leaving.”

* * *

Phil wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or disappointed that Dan hadn’t shown up at the bar that night. He hadn’t expected him to, but there was a small flicker of hope that maybe Ryan would drag him back out again. The wild-eyed opinionated Dan from Starbuck’s resonated in Phil’s mind and he wanted  _ more  _ of it. Even so, in Dan’s brief spurt of outspokenness, Phil could still see the hesitancy in his actions. The way his fingers were constantly tapping against the table, the way his teeth caught and chewed his bottom lip, the frantic glances around the room. Phil knew when someone was uncomfortable and Dan definitely was.

He seemed to _always_ be.

Phil wondered if that’s what intrigued him so much about him. He was a strange case, this Dan. So far, everyone Ryan had recruited for SocializeX had been incredibly outgoing. There wasn’t a single shy person in the office. Some were quieter than others, sure, but no one there was adamantly closed off.

Dan was the exception and the fact he had built this whole company (partially) struck Phil as odd. It was so out of character for the Dan he’d seen so far. 

* * *

It had been two weeks. Two weeks since Dan had shown up at the office, two weeks since Phil hadn't stopped staring at the door, two weeks since people had started asking questions.

“ _Personal matters_ ” Ryan had said. And Phil understood, but…

“So,” Lily sat on the edge of Phil’s desk, kicking one leg over the other, “What do you think personal matters really means?”

Phil frowned. It wasn’t their business. Which is exactly what he told Lily.

“Come on, you can’t say you aren’t at least a little bit curious.”

“Of course I am, Lils. But that doesn’t mean it’s my business.”

The way Lily rolled her eyes made Phil uncomfortable. He felt like a child who was about to get scolded. But, he didn’t do anything wrong! She was the one trying to theorize about Dan’s absence like it was some hot gossip. In a way, Phil supposed it was. He never was one to care for the office gossip - Or gossip of any kind. He preferred things straight from the source. There was less room for misunderstandings there.

It didn’t stop the ridiculous scenarios playing out in his head about where Dan could be though. He knew if he had personal matters to attend to, he probably wouldn’t want the whole office to know either.

Lily had already stalked off from Phil’s desk and made her way across the room. She clearly was in a mood and Phil was not complying well enough for her at the moment. He sighed, brushing a piece of hair away from his face.

He had work to do anyway.

* * *

Phil’s watch showed 7:33 AM.

It was chilly. The wind was blowing Phil’s hair in every direction and the Starbuck’s that was only a few minute walk away felt as if it was miles. He was beyond exhausted. Having a few late nights at the office had sent him into a terribly sleep-deprived state which was exactly why he was on the hunt for caffeine before he even stepped foot into the doors of SocializeX. 

The bell on the door chimed far too loudly for Phil’s liking as he finally stepped inside, welcoming the warmth of the room. He’d barely had a chance to relax or even eye the menu before he overhead it.

“I can’t, Ryan. I don’t – They don’t – It’s just not working.”

Sitting in the back corner booth, behind an array of empty coffee cups, was Dan. Ryan sat opposite, chin propped in his hands. Even though he’d only heard Dan speak a few times, Phil was sure he’d recognize his voice anywhere. The pleading in his tone, however, was new. It was far different than the stammered apologies he’d first offered to Phil.

“Dan, babe, look. You have to, alright? I know it’s not easy for you, but you need to – “

“Sir, are you ready to order?”

Phil’s head snapped back towards the counter, locking eyes with a very tired looking teenager who clearly had no time for his eavesdropping. Whatever Ryan was saying was lost over the sound of coffee grinding and the music in the shop finally clicking on. By the time Phil’s drink was in his hand, the table where Dan and Ryan had sat was empty.

* * *

Dan was sitting at a desk when Phil arrived. Not in the office behind closed doors and curtains, but at a desk! Smack dab in the middle of the office! There was an array of blank sticky notes stuck to the top, color-coded in rows from top to bottom, and a pen caught between his teeth. He was staring intently down at the neon papers, not even glancing up as the door slammed behind Phil.

“He’s been staring at them for … 10 minutes now? I don’t think he’s even blinked.”

Phil glanced behind him, not surprised at the hushed whispers Lily and another coworker were sharing. He shook his head as he caught Lily’s gaze, sending her his best telepathic “Shut up.”

“I’ve blinked,” Dan commented, quickly shutting Lily’s gossip up and surprising Phil all in the same. 

His words were soft but forceful at the same time. The same air of nervousness still hung around them, but it was effective. Lily caught Phil’s eye and he was surprised to see her face turning a light shade of red. She was embarrassed. Embarrassed she’d been caught in her gossip! Phil didn’t want to take joy in this, but he was going to anyway.

She may be his best friend, but she still needed to be put in her place sometimes. Dan turned slightly and caught Phil’s eye. He blinked – making a point to make it as obvious as possible – and turned back around.

Phil cringed. They’d already gotten off on the wrong foot. The last thing Phil needed was for Dan to think he was in on the office gossip. Brushing past his own desk, he walked up to Dan’s and forced what he hoped was a casual smile on his face.

Dan looked up at him quizzically, his eyes narrowed as he glanced around where Phil stood. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting him to come up to him. Phil felt himself freezing up. He hadn’t planned this out well at all and now he was simply stood in front of Dan’s desk, silently staring at him like some kind of weirdo.

“Uh, yeah?” Dan finally asked.

“Lunch?” Phil choked out, shaking himself out of his awkwardness induced daze.

“It’s not even 8:30…”

“Not now!” Phil interjected loudly. A few people in the room cast him an odd glance before going back to their work. “I meant at lunch?”

Dan blinked.

And blinked again.

And then blinked once more.

Phil was more than ready to pull back his offer, the words on the tip of his tongue, giving Dan an out if he needed to take it. 

To his surprise, Dan nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone had finally made it into the office and started to get to work when Ryan burst through the office door.

“Good news!” Ryan slammed his hands on top of an empty desk, causing a jolt of panic to course through everyone in the office. “We’ve been invited to… drumroll please!”

Silence lay heavy over the room, dragging on the longer Ryan waited for someone to actually humor him. A sigh left his lips, disappointed, as he tapped on the desk himself.

“… The Brink Electronics International Convention!”

  
  
Dan’s head shot up faster than Phil had ever seen anyone move in his life. For the first time since meeting him, a genuine smile had spread across his face. He beamed at Ryan, the two seeming to have a conversation through shared glances alone. It was intriguing to watch, in a way. Phil found he couldn’t tear his eyes away from their silent communication. Even the excited murmuring laying over the room wasn’t enough to distract him.

It also helped that he truly had no idea what was going.

It didn’t surprise him. He was the only person working for SocializeX that hadn’t been in the electronic field as a career at some point. Obviously, he’d done some graphic design and a few other computer-related things or else he wouldn’t be working here. But, he wasn’t as invested in the community as the others.

“As you know, this is a big deal. Brinks doesn’t invite just anyone to be a guest at their conventions, so clearly we’ve made some kind of an impression,” Ryan bounced on his toes, nodding towards his office door. “I’ll give you guys the details later. But, for now… Dan, in the office for a sec?”  


Dan nodded, not wasting any time in hopping out of his chair. Once the door was shut behind him, the office erupted into chatter.  


“Do you think we’ll all go?” someone asked from one side of the room.

“I don’t think he would go without us,” Lily snorted. “He doesn’t know half the stuff we do and he doesn’t want to make us look stupid, yeah? We’re a team after all.”

  
Phil couldn't help but laugh. A team they were. It was something Ryan emphasized so often he even made an acronym.

_**Together** _   
_**Everyone** _   
_**Accomplishes** _   
_**More** _

Ryan was so proud of it that neither Phil nor anyone in the office had the heart to tell him it was definitely the slogan for at least five other companies in London alone. They’d all just let him have this one. Lily tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder. She’d straightened her curls out, the scent of hairspray still lingering around her as she leaned down to meet Phil’s eye level.  


“You have no idea what’s going on, do you?”  


“Is it obvious?” Phil cringed.  


“Mhm.”  


Lily always had a habit of making Phil feel childish. He wondered why he even put up with it sometimes. He always came to the same conclusion: he actually did enjoy her company (even when she was being a royal pain).  


“Brinks is a big deal. They’ve been working their way up in every aspect of the electronics field for so long. From apps to computers to TVs, it’s insane really. You should Google them some time,” Lily paused, “But anyway, they started having this convention thing a few years back. So many app developers and electronic geeks would kill to be invited. Hell, they’d probably kill to even be able to go and just… browse the whole thing!”

  
  
“Wow,” Phil chuckled, letting the first pricks of excitement burst underneath his skin. This was definitely something he’d enjoy – just as Lily said, whether he had been invited or not.

  
  
“This could be a huge foot in the door at so many places for everyone in this office if things go well!”  


Phil took a minute to contemplate that. He, dumbly, hadn’t even contemplated the career benefits this might have. He’d been too focused on the fact he’d be in a room full of new tech. When he’d started working for Ryan, he’d never thought he’d stay. He’d assumed he would walk out the door with everyone else once the app was launched and find a new boring job – just like Tesco. But, if what Lily was saying was true, this could be it for him. He might have some footing to find a job he’d actually enjoy.  


“… in Vegas! That’s – I mean, Phil, it’s Vegas!”  


Whatever Lily had been saying was lost on Phil. He zoned back into their conversation as her pitch rose and jostled him out of his head.

“What’s Vegas?”

  
“What’s Vegas?” She gasped, narrowing her eyes down at Phil. “Like, Las Vegas. Yaknow? Gambling and showgirls and all-night bars? 24-hour wedding chapels? All that stuff?”  


“I know what Vegas is, Lil.” Phil fought the urge to roll his eyes. “But why is that relevant?”  


“Because the convention is in Vegas, you big dolt! I just said that.”  


“Oh,” Phil replied lamely, pursing his lips.

The convention might be his thing, but Vegas? It definitely wasn’t his scene. He had a feeling it wasn’t Dan’s either. He seemed uncomfortable enough in an office of 10. What was he supposed to do in a crowd of hundreds?

He let his eyes wander to Ryan’s office where the curtains were surprisingly not drawn. Ryan was talking, pacing and waving his arms animatedly as usual. Dan’s back was to the window, leaning against one of the painfully uncomfortable chairs sitting in front of the desk. He must have said something because Ryan stopped talking. His grin went to a reassuring smile as he started talking again, moving his hand to ruffle Dan’s hair. Dan immediately swatted his hand away, but Phil saw a faint smile on his face as he turned to do so. They talked for a few more minutes before Dan left the room and headed out the door instead of back to his desk.

Phil’s expression must have given away his confusion.  


“What? Your new best friend leaving you all alone?” Lily teased – something she’d started doing the first time Phil had verbally questioned why Dan wasn’t at work. It only got worse when he refused to share in her gossip about it and when she found out about their little lunch excursion.

He felt his face flush as he gently shoved Lily away from his desk. “Go away. Don’t you have work to do?”

* * *

  
  
Dan didn’t come back.

His desk was empty aside from the post-it notes still stuck across it. Phil couldn’t help but frown at the empty chair.

He guessed he'd be fine eating lunch alone.

* * *

Much to Phil’s – and most of the office’s – shock, Dan was back at work the next day. He looked equally as disheveled as his first day, but he was there and he was back to scribbling across those sticky notes laid across his desk.

Phil would admit to taking a peek at them after he’d left the day before. But, it didn’t make any sense to him. It was sporadic and numbered and there were only a few sticky pieces of paper written on. So he’d given up, deciding it was a sign not to invade on Dan’s privacy.

But, today Dan was actually writing on them and the feelings he had yesterday went out the window.

_**Lily:**_ wuts he writing?

 _ **Phil:**_ I have no idea, lol.

 _ **Lily:**_ well, I wanna know. so go look : )

 _ **Phil:**_ No! You go look if you want to know so bad

 _ **Lily:**_ admit it, Lester, you want to kno just as bad as I do

  
  
Phil made it a point for Lily caught his glare across the room which she responded to by blowing him a very sarcastic kiss, turning around with a wink. He grumbled underneath his breath, turning back to the manual in his hands when he noticed Dan had been watching them. He glanced between Phil and Lily a few times before, silently raising his eyebrows as he caught Phil’s gaze.

  
Phil didn’t even have time to shake his head and deny anything before Dan was turned back around and writing on a sole pink post-it note stuck at the end of his desk. Phil buried his head in his hands, cursing himself – and Lily – for being so awkward.

Dan scribbled a bit more across the paper before standing up and sticking it on Phil’s desk. He didn’t bother to say anything or even acknowledge Phil in any other way. He stuck the post it there and left.  


_‘Sorry about missing lunch yesterday. Today?’_  


Phil’s lips quirked up. He quickly wrote a yes on the paper, sticking in the center of Dan’s desk. It felt a lot like passing notes in primary school and the faint nostalgia made Phil a bit giddy inside. When he finally looked away from his computer screen, Dan was back at his desk and Phil’s sticky note was stuck to the side.  
  
  


* * *

Phil had lost track of time. The clock had turned well past one o’clock. Most of his co-workers had already left and come back from lunch, all the while Phil was sat typing away at his desktop. If it weren’t for Dan approaching his desk, Phil feared he may have missed the chance at alone time with him altogether.

“Starbuck’s?” He asked, tentatively. “Or real food today?”

“Are you saying Starbuck’s isn’t real food?”

Dan laughed, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

* * *

They ended up at a little cafe down the street. Phil had seen it a few times in passing but never bothered to stop. As soon as he walked through the front door, he realized how huge a mistake it had been not to.

It was quaint. Soft lighting, simplistic decor, quiet - in a relaxing sense he felt Dan would appreciate. It came as a shock to see Dan nervously chewing on his fingernails when he glanced over towards him.

“Are you okay?” Phil asked, taking the initiative to lead Dan by the arm to a table in the back.

Dan slid into the seat closest to the wall, hunching over as he tugged his jacket across his chest. He had yet to answer Phil’s question, only shooting him a look when he’d asked.

“We can… go?”

“No, no. It’s okay. M’fine. This place just reminds me -”

Dan hesitated, shifting in his chair. The waitress took this moment to approach the table, menu’s in hand.

“What can I get for you lads? Coffee? Tea? Or something else?”

“Tea,” Dan answered. “And coffee. Two sugars, cream.”

Dan’s aloof and unfinished statement slipped from Phil’s mind, mouth falling open as he looked across the table. Dan shot him an amused look.

“Or did you want tea?”

“Uh - Yeah, what he said.”

As the waitress left, Phil turned back to Dan. “How’d you know?”

Annoyingly, Dan shrugged. Another question Phil knew was going to be left unanswered.

* * *

“Are you excited about the convention?”

Dan poked at the sandwich on his plate, picking away at the crust around the edges. Phil could still see the smile blossoming across his face.

“Yeah, I really am. We really never thought that the app would get a team, much less get invited to Brink’s. I’m just -”

“- In shock?” Phil finished.

Dan nodded, “I think Ryan’s equally as excited about going to Vegas as he is the actual convention. Between you and me, he’s scheduling the trip so that we’ll have a few days there after everything’s over with. If people want to stay, that is. I know he and I will.”

Phil’s brow furrowed, chin resting in his hand atop the table. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but there was an invisible line drawn and he wasn’t sure how close to overstepping it he was getting.

“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. I dunno if I’ll stay though. Vegas doesn’t really seem like it’s my thing.”  


Dan’s face fell slightly and Phil wasn’t sure what exactly had caused it.

“Yeah, I’ve never been.” He eventually replied. “It doesn’t seem like my kinda thing either.”

* * *

As much as Phil had wanted to press, the topic of staying in Vegas was dropped in lieu of small talk. Dan knew his coffee order from watching him at work. He’d admitted it with a blush, a rosy path spreading across his cheek.

_‘Not in a stalker way.’_ He’d made sure to add.

Phil found it endearing and slightly reassuring that he wasn’t the only one who was interested in the other. It made him feel less of a creep. When the waitress came back, placing the bill on the table, Dan had slapped a hand on top of it before Phil could even move.

“I’ve got it.”

“No, it’s -”

Dan shook his head, pulling the piece of paper to himself. There was something in his expression that quelled all of Phil’s arguments on the tip of his tongue. He’d simply nodded, muttering a quiet ‘thanks' that made Dan’s face light up.

(Phil was glad he hadn’t argued.)


	6. Chapter 6

Phil going to lunch with Dan had begun to raise more eyebrows than just Lily and Ryan’s. It was obvious all attention was on them as they stepped inside. Even Lily raised an eyebrow from across the room. Dan shrunk back, stepping behind Phil subconsciously to shift away from the attention.

It was cute. If Phil hadn’t started to sweat under the curious gaze of his coworkers, he may have taken more time to appreciate Dan’s nervous ticks. But, there were too many eyes on them and Phil had never been one to like being the center of gossip.

Clearing his throat, he made his way back to his desk. Dan still lingered at the doorway, reeling back from the loss of his human shield. Everyone had the decency to turn away and at least pretend to work as Dan stiffly made his way towards his desk. Just as Phil was sure he was going to sit down, Dan veered off at the last second and went inside Ryan’s office. 

He stayed behind the closed door for a few hours before leaving, shooting Phil a smile on his way out the door.

* * *

Rain was pattering against the office windows as his coworkers frantically began to leave.

Most everyone else in the office had already gone – either running for the tube or catching a cab of their own, eager to get back to their home before the downpour truly started. Even Ryan had slipped out the door without Phil even noticing. 

Phil made a break for it the second the cab he called for pulled up the curb. He was so intent on getting in the car before the rain managed to do him in that he didn’t notice Dan coming out the door a few moments behind him, flicking the office lights off and turning the lock on the door. He didn’t even see Dan at all until the taxi had taken him halfway down the street and he’d cast a quick glance back.

He was hard to miss. In a storm like this, there was literally very few people walking around outside and among the few, Dan towered over them. Phil’s eyes were naturally drawn to where Dan stood, already soaked from head to toe. His curls were wet, clinging to his forehead much like his shirt was to his skin. 

“Wait!” Phil shouted, startling the taxi driver to slam on the break and utter a slew of curses. “Sorry, sorry. Hold on a sec.”

Phil rolled his window down halfway, frantically waving his hand outside of it.

“Do you need a ride?” He yelled out the window.

Unusually, Dan didn’t hesitate - though Phil couldn’t blame him - and he made a break for the other side of the car, profusely apologizing to the driver the moment he got inside. Phil's eyes followed the droplets of water running down Dan's neck and disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt. Phil wanted to watch them trail down his chest, his stomach, his waist. Dan had run his fingers messily through his curls, pushing them into a messy quiff that Phil wanted to mess up again. Swallowing abruptly at the sudden swell of arousal that was brewing in the pit of his stomach, he quickly shook his head. He absolutely did **not** need to be thinking about that when Dan was literally right next to him.

“Thanks,” Dan smiled, turning his head to Phil. “I was going to walk.”

“You were going to walk? In this? Dan.”

Dan shrugged. “Well, Ryan had to leave today and I usually just go with him. I don’t drive.”

“Why didn’t you just leave when he did? Why didn’t you get a cab?”

“Eh, it was personal stuff. I didn’t really want to get involved.” He shrugged again. 

Phil’s curiosity piqued. “So, you’d rather walk home in a torrential downpour than get involved in his ‘ _personal stuff_ ’?”

“Exactly.”

Dan fidgeted with the set of keys in his hands. Phil recognized them as the ones for the office. The ugly blue keychain distinguished them apart from anyone else’s. He wasn’t sure why it was a surprise to him that Dan was holding them.

“Do you live close?”

Phil pulled his eyes away from the keys, meeting Dan’s. “About ten minutes or so.”

“You’re lucky. I’m a good half hour out.”

The look of pure discomfort on Dan’s face was enough to spur Phil to speak. 

“Come back to mine.”

* * *

  
  


Dan’s shoes sat by the front door. He’d toed them off the second he’d stepped foot on Phil’s eccentrically bright welcome mat, already apologizing. 

“Sorry.

“For what?”

“I’m getting everything wet.” Dan replied, as if it were obvious.

Phil supposed it should have been.

“Oh! Hold on.”

Hurrying to his bedroom, Phil stopped in the bathroom to grab a towel. He and Dan were close to the same size, but his aesthetic of clothing was far from the course for Dan’s usual monochrome. Phil glanced between the pink shirt in one hand and the grey one in the other, discarding the grey one on the floor. Grabbing a pair of black joggers - Phil wasn’t going to make Dan wear too much color, afterall - he returned to find Dan scanning through the pictures on his wall.

A hint of a sad smile spread across his lips as his eyes moved from one to another, lingering longer on certain frames. Phil wasn’t sure if Dan had registered he was there or not until he started talking.

“Is that your girlfriend?” He asked, gesturing to a Polaroid on the wall. 

It was a picture of Phil and his brother’s girlfriend last Christmas. They were both sat in front of his parent’s fireplace in a mess of wrapping paper. Martyn had taken the picture with the Polaroid camera he’d gotten Cornelia as a gift. It was a fond memory. 

Phil stepped a bit closer, shaking his head. “My brother’s.”

He pointed to a picture of himself and Martyn near the top of the wall. Dan nodded.

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“He’s older.”

Dan gave him a look. “I figured.”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You just have little brother energy.” Dan’s lips curved upwards as he took the towel. “Thank you, by the way.”

* * *

Seeing Dan wearing _his_ clothes, drinking tea out of _his_ mug, and sat on _his_ couch was a lot for Phil to take in. Aside from lunch and the bar, Dan had been a work figure in Phil’s life. When he thought of him, Phil always thought of desks and paperwork - and anxiety and brown eyes and curls and… Well, he just associated Dan with work. Seeing his outside of the office, in his flat of all places, was surreal. 

Surreal, but awkward. 

Phil wasn’t quite sure what to say as he took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. He knew Dan would more than likely be content to sit in silence as opposed to the stress of trying to make conversation. But the silence was making Phil squirm against the decorative pillow Lily had given him last year.

“Any word on Vegas yet?”

Dan looked amused as he shook his head. “No. Have you decided if you’re going to stay or not?”

“Maybe. It might be fun to get out of my element for a while.”

“Or it could be terrible.” Dan countered.

It took Phil a minute to realize that Dan had been joking. He shook his head with a laugh.

“Wow. How optimistic.”

“You know me.”

Phil paused. Did he? He didn’t really know much about Dan at all. His infatuation with his coworker was purely based on curiosity and sex appeal right now. He wasn’t sure whether or not Dan was even single. 

“Ryan mentioned you just moved here.”

Dan tensed, slowly relaxing back into Phil’s couch. “Technically.”

“Technically?” Phil prodded.

“I grew up around here, went away, and now I’m back for now.”

“Where’d you move to?”

“Here and there. It wasn’t very permanent.”

The silence lingered. It was a cheap tactic but Phil hoped if he didn’t say anything that Dan would continue, if for no other reason than to simply fill the void of the conversation. He could feel Dan’s gaze on him, expectant and waiting for him to reply. But he didn’t. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” Dan chuckled, albeit nervously. 

He did exactly as Phil thought he would.

“Well, we have time and I have more tea.”

Dan hesitated, finally nodding his head. "Let's make some more tea then.”


	7. Chapter 7

It turned out, Phil didn’t have time to make more tea. Dan’s phone began ringing in his pocket the moment Phil had stood to go to the kitchen.

“Hello? No, I got caught in the rain.”

Phil shifted on his feet in the doorway. He wasn’t sure if he should walk away or continue to listen in on Dan’s half of the conversation from his safe space just out of his sight.

“A friend’s. You have my wallet, so…”

Ah. Phil should have guessed it was Ryan. He still hadn’t figured out exactly what Dan and his relationship was and it was beginning to slip into his day to day thoughts. 

“Uh, I guess. Is she home yet? Uh-huh. No, yeah. That’s fine. I’ll be there soon. Okay. Bye.”

A sigh left Dan’s lips as he shoved his phone back into his pocket, brushing his fingers through the ends of his curls. He stood up, not before readjusting Phil’s throw pillows, and turned to the kitchen. 

Phil froze beside the door frame as he realized he was meant to making tea, not eavesdropping. As gracelessly as usual, he hurried across the room and knocked over a kitchen stool in the process. It hit the floor with a loud thud. Dan laughed in the doorway, eyebrow raised as he watched Phil try to remedy the situation.

“Nice,” He shook his head, smile lingering on his lips. “Raincheck on the tea? I have to go.”

* * *

It would be a lie if Phil said he wasn’t the tiniest bit upset seeing Dan walk out his front door. He was so close to knowing more about him, something he’d wanted all along and Ryan had to call and mess it all up. He knew it was stupid to be annoyed with his boss over this, but at the moment, he didn’t care. Frowning, Phil picked the kitchen stool back up and sat down, letting his forehead rest against the counter.

He didn’t notice the text from Dan until a few hours later.

_ “Sorry I had to leave. I’m serious about the raincheck though. :)” _

* * *

The office was a complete disaster zone by the time Phil arrived.

Ryan was frantic.

He was bustling around the office, vibrating with nervous energy as he gave everyone tasks to do. Someone from Brink’s was coming. A ‘ _last minute trip_ ’ is what they’d said and that was all it took for Ryan to lose his mind and start scrambling around the office like a chicken with its’ head cut off.

Dan seemed no better.

It was obvious that Ryan seemed to have a lot of effect on Dan’s emotions. He had known him a lot longer than everyone else at the company and he knew what to say, how to act, what to do to make Dan comfortable and calm him down. But, right now? He was doing the polar opposite of that.

Dan looked like he’d practically seen a ghost – which was ironic considering all the color had drained from his face, making _him_ resemble one instead. Phil watched the tremble in Dan’s fingers as they yet again ran through his curls, mussing them up as he stood in the corner. Phil wasn’t sure if he was even registering what was happening anymore. The sheer amount of tension in the office was enough to put Phil on edge, himself. He knew that if he was growing anxious, then Dan surely was in no state to even be in the room. He didn't have much time to dwell on his and Dan's rising anxiety. Ryan suddenly was in his personal space, shoving a handful of papers in Phil’s hands with instructions he could barely register before rushing to the other side of the room.

By the time Phil looked back to the corner Dan had wedged himself in, he was gone.

* * *

The hallway that led into the other parts of the building reminded Phil of an industrial warehouse. The walls were painted slate gray without a shred of artwork on them, a dingy metal lining ran along the floor. Actually, the longer he walked down the hall, the more it started to remind him of a prison. It was eerily quiet as he made his way out the door. His footsteps were echoing around him, only being interrupted by the opening or closing of another door somewhere in the maze of hallways.

It would have been easy to sit at his desk and do what Ryan instructed. He could have just as well stayed in the little office of SocializeX and not meandered into unknown territory. But, there was a pull towards the hallway. From the moment Dan disappeared and Phil heard the door at the back of the room slam shut, he knew that he’d left. Every muscle in his body was compelled to follow him. It was just like the lunch situation all over again.

The only problem with this was Phil had no idea where Dan would even go. Did he know his way around the many offices here or was he just that desperate to get away?

Trailing his fingers across the wall as he walked, Phil sighed. There was probably no hope in this. Dan reminded Phil of a rabbit. He was cute, scared, quick to run and hide. Phil simply wasn’t agile enough to keep up with him.

Just as he was about to give up and go face Ryan’s ongoing meltdown, he saw a pair of bathrooms. A sign was lazily taped on both doors claiming they were out of order – knowing the building, they probably were – but one door was ajar. It was caught on a cracked tile, not having closed all the way and unlike the bathroom to its’ left, the light was on.

Phil stared at the door for a moment, weighing his options. It was now or never. Raising his fist, he rapped lightly against the metal and, as expected, received no reply.

“Um, I’m gonna come in, okay?”

Phil didn’t wait for an answer as he quietly stepped inside. His suspicions had been right because there Dan stood, hands gripping the edge of the sink so hard his knuckles were white. He whipped his head around as Phil came inside, clearly not hearing him knock or even speak.

Now that he was here, Phil was at a loss for what to do. Dan looked on the verge of tears, his eyes darting frantically around the room before finally settling back on where Phil stood.

“I’m fine,” He rasped out, turning to look back towards the mirror.

Phil could have laughed. He didn’t. But he could have. Dan looked the farthest thing from fine right now and both of them knew it.

“Are you sure?”

Dan shook his head. “Sorry, I’m- I’m good.”

‘Good, huh?’ Phil thought to himself, making sure to shove the door closed behind him as he stepped inside. Dan’s breathing was labored, hitching after ever inhale. His fingers were trembling despite being clasped tightly around the laminate countertop.

Phil had experienced a panic attack before and Dan looked like he a few seconds from spiraling into one. With slight hesitation, Phil took a few steps towards the mirror and made eye contact with Dan’s reflection.

“Can you breathe with me?”

Dan’s expression faltered a mix of surprise and what Phil assumed was shame washed over his face, and he gave a feeble nod.

Inhale for four.

Hold it for seven.

Exhale for eight.

Repeat.

It was a bit of a struggle initially to get Dan to follow along, but by the end of it, he and Phil both were sitting on the bathroom floor with their backs to the wall. Dan had tipped his head back to rest against the dirty tile, his eyes closed. Phil watched the rise and fall of his chest, resisting the urge to reach out and hold onto the hand that was still shaking.

“Sorry,” Dan finally muttered, looking anywhere but Phil. “Thank you for… ya’know.”

“Don’t apologize,” Phil frowned.

Dan let an elongated breathe pass his lips. “Sorry,” He started, forcing a small laugh when he realized he’d done it again. “Force of habit.”

* * *

“I hate anxiety.”

Phil knew they probably shouldn’t be shirking off the responsibilities any longer, but he couldn’t find it in himself to get up off the bathroom floor. Nor could Dan. They’d sat in an uncomfortably comfortable silence, that made Phil’s skin prick with anticipation. Dan just seemed content to actually be breathing normally. 

Phil turned his head against the wall to look at him. “Yeah? I don’t blame you. It sucks.”

“I just wish it was easier sometimes, you know? Ryan tries to get it, he really does and I appreciate that. But, he just doesn’t.”

“It’s hard to get when you don’t experience it.”

Dan just nodded, silently staring at the ceiling before saying anything else.

“You’re the only person here who’s really talked to me,” He said, biting his bottom lip. “And I mean, I guess that’s my fault in a way. It’s just….”

“Hard?” Phil frowned, but didn’t say anything else as Dan nodded. 

His eyes fell down to where Dan’s fingers were drumming against the floor and he gently lay his hand on top. The blush spreading across his cheeks would have made it worth it alone, but the sheer contentment in the smile that crossed Dan’s face afterwards was enough to make Phil want to hold on and never let go.


	8. Chapter 8

The office was calmer when Phil finally coaxed Dan out of the bathroom. People were still bustling around the room, noticeably more tense than they had been but overall, it was better.

(Phil wondered if that was the case because Ryan seemed to be absent.)

It took a lot of persuading getting Dan to even consider coming back into the office. Phil was honestly surprised he’d managed it at all.

_ ‘Ryan probably needs you.’ _

_ ‘I know, but I’m… I mean, I’m not gonna be much help.’ _

_ ‘Don’t say that. You wouldn’t be here if he didn’t think you’d be helpful.’ _

_ Dan laughed humorlessly. _

__

_ ‘It’s just a lot.’ _

_ ‘What is?’ _

_ Dan frowned, ‘Everything?’ _

__

_ ‘I’ll sneak you in the side door like a ninja. No one will even notice.’ _

_ ‘Sure, Phil. That’s going to go over well.’ _

_ ‘Don’t doubt my skills, Howell.’ _

__

_ ‘Okay, how about this. We go back to the office, okay? And if it’s too much, we can just leave again.’ _

_ ‘We?’ _

_ ‘I mean – Er, I just assumed – ‘ _

_ ‘Thank you, Phil.’ _

“Dan!”

Phil cringed at the sudden intrusion of Ryan’s voice, not missing the subtle jolt of Dan’s body.

“Are you okay?” He questioned in a much lower tone, ushering Dan away from Phil and into his office. Phil watched the two retreat across the room, furrowing his eyes as the door shut behind them. Phil sighed, turning towards his desk, not surprised in the slightest to see Lily already taking residence in his chair.

“Sooo,” She smirked, tapping the end of her pen against the armrest. “Where’d you two get off to?”

“Don’t even start.” Phil warned, rolling Dan’s chair to his desk. He gave the chair Lily was in a gentle kick, moving her out of his spot. “It wasn’t like  _ that.” _

“Then what was it like?”

“Can we not do this now?”

“Fine,” Lily huffed, pushing herself up and straightening the hem of her skirt. “We are getting drinks tonight though and you can’t get out of it.”

* * *

Nine times out of ten when going out for drinks was suggested, Phil dreaded it. Today was no exception, especially with how hectic things had already been that day. The last thing he felt like doing was drinking an overpriced beer while Lily badgered him with questions about Dan.

Ideally, he’d like to take Dan up on that raincheck for tea. They didn’t even have to delve into his past, if he didn’t want to. They didn’t have to talk about anything. Phil genuinely just wanted to have tea with him and maybe watch some stupid movie and veg out.

Lily was typing away on her laptop. Dan was still in the office with Ryan. Phil shifted his gaze between the two periodically, avoiding the surplus of emails building in his inbox. He was so worked up over his encounter with Dan and the pure dread of having to go  _ out  _ after work, he couldn’t focus.

* * *

“Hey.”

Phil flinched, finally blinking after minutes of staring blankly at his computer screen. He hadn’t even realized he’d zoned out. Dan was leaning over his desk, concern contoring his features. He was staring, taking in Phil’s face like he wanted to examine every little detail. It was a bit unnerving and Phil found himself squirming in the office chair.

“Hey.”

“You alright?” Dan asked, turning his chair around to sit on the opposite side of the desk.

“Tired.” Phil shrugged. “Can’t focus on all this.”

He waved a hand dismissively at the desk and saw Dan nod. A similar look of distaste crossed his visage, before he started to pick at a string on his shirt.

“Yeah… Yeah, I get that. I was wondering if, uh, you can say no. But are you busy tonight?”

Phil felt his jaw drop and he quickly snapped his mouth shut. Panicked, he looked to the opposite side of the room, watching as Lily slipped her jacket over her shoulders and began digging through her desk drawer for her keys. 

Dan followed his gaze, frowning as a look of realization crossed his face, “Oh.”

“You can come!” Phil interjected loudly. 

Dan flinched at his sudden outburst. “Are you sure? I don’t want to…  _ intrude _ .”

His words held an implication that Phil desperately wanted to set right. He forced a smile as Lily approached his desk.

“Of course you can come with us. You won’t be intruding. Right, Lil?”

“Uh, no? Of course not. Definitely not.”

She gently shoved her foot into Phil’s calf under his desk. He did his best to hide the discomfort on his face. Dan relaxed at Lily’s confirmation. His face slid into the little half smile he reserved for social encounters. “Forced politeness” as Phil liked to call it.

“Okay, cool. I - Well, I’ll meet you guys there? I have to finish some stuff up.”

“Yeah. Okay, cool.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…”

Neither Dan nor Phil seemed keen on moving away from the desk, even though their conversation had dwindled to nothing more than repetitive one syllable words. Internally, Phil was cringing at himself and he was sure Dan was doing the same. Before either of them could utter anything else, Lily butted in.

“Okay, come on, Phil.” 

Her hand wrapped around his arm, pulling Phil from his seat and towards the door. Despite her clear annoyance at the intrusion of their plans, there was a lilt of amusement to her words. 

“So, he’s coming to our little drink date, hm? I thought it was supposed to be just us.”

“I panicked.”

“You could have said no. You have no problem doing it to anyone else in the office.”

Phil opened his mouth, ready to reply, but the smirk on her face and that fact she was  _ right _ shut him right up. Grumbling, he shook himself out of her grasp and stepped outside the door.

* * *

“You like him.” Lily stated, sipping her beer. She put the heavy glass down on the table with a thud. “Let’s talk before he gets here. What’s up? You haven’t told me anything lately.”

A wave of guilt washed over Phil at how genuine she was being. Frowning, he shrugged.

“M’sorry. I haven’t meant to like, not talk to you or whatever.”

“It’s okay. I just want to know what’s going on in that head of yours, Lester. We’re best friends afterall. You’re supposed to tell me all your dirty little secrets.”

Her lips curved into a teasing smile and Phil rolled his eyes, glad to see she wasn’t going to steer this conversation into anything too emotionally compromising.

“So, spill. Before he gets here, make the long story short.”

“Uh, I mean, there isn’t really a story. It’s just sort of happening?”

“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know!” Phil exclaimed. He ran a hand through his hair, sending strands of his quiff falling into his face. “He’s so cryptic and weird and okay, fine I _do_ like him, Lil. You already know that and I think he likes me too. But I can’t read him. Besides what even is his relationship with Ryan? What is that about? Are they a thing? Because I don’t want to overstep and mess things up with them. And -”

“Whoah, whoah. Slow down.” Lily looked taken aback, eyebrows furrowed. “Have you considered just  _ asking him?” _

“What?”

“Asking him. If he wants to get coffee or if he and Ryan are fucking.”

“You’re so crude.”

Lily smiled, “Well, have you?”

“No, of course I haven’t!”

Phil halted the conversation as Dan walked in the door. The smile that had started to curve on his lips faltered when he saw Ryan step through the door behind him. It was like the first night at the bar all over again. His hand was on Dan’s lower back, only falling away when they went separate directions.

“Hey.” Dan said, approaching the table. He took the seat next to Phil and Lily nudged him under the table. 

“Finish everything up?” 

Dan nodded, “Yeah. Sort of. It’s a lot.”

“Tell me about it,” Lily groaned, taking a swig of her drink. “I can barely handle what I’m doing. I don’t even want to know what you and Ryan are up to right now.”

Phil cast a glance across the table. Whether Dan knew it or not, there was a double meaning in her words. He could’ve killed her.

“Well, I mean - “ Dan stumbled over his words. “Yeah, it’s a bit much. Maybe I need a personal assistant.”

It was clearly a joke, but Phil saw Lily’s eyes light up across the table. A mischievous twinkle in her gaze.

“Phil was pretty much my personal assistant when he first started.” She commented, feigning nonchalance. 

The table jerked as Ryan approached, accidentally bumping the wood with his knee as he sat down.

“Yeah, I remember that.” He chimed in. “A good assistant. I should have taken him to be mine if I’m being honest. Especially now.”

Lily met his gaze across the table as he slowly shook his head no, eyes narrowed. He knew what she was doing and he was definitely going to chew her out for it later.

“Yeah, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping you out sometimes, Dan. Right, Phil?”

Ryan nodded, unaware of the scheme he was being dragged in to, as he looked across towards Phil. He could feel Dan’s head turn to him from the side.

“Yeah, no. Of course. Always here to help.”

  
  


* * *

Phil had been so annoyed with Lily that he’d begun pounding down drinks like he was still in Uni. He had grown tipsy and loose lipped, in a far better mood than he had been an hour earlier. Dan looked equally amused and concerned as he watched Phil kept talk. His chin was resting in his palm, curls falling across his forehead in a soft wave. Phil wanted to reach out and brush them out of his face. But even drunk, he had  _ some  _ self control.

“Alright, you’re being a nerd. I’m leaving.” Lily stood, gently poking Phil in the cheek, before she turned to Dan. Ryan had left an hour before. He had too much work to do to spend the whole night at a bar. Phil supposed Dan probably should have left with him, but he hadn’t. Instead, he’d stayed and invested in a conversation with a drunk Phil.

“Make sure he drinks some water, will ya?”

“Of course.” Dan agreed. 

As soon as Lily walked out the door, Phil rolled his eyes.

“She’s so annoying sometimes. I love her, but geez.”

“Why so?” Dan asked, tilting his head.

“She’s just,” Phil waved his hand around, trying to convey the words in his head to something Dan would understand. It was difficult considering he didn’t even understand them himself. “I don’t know. Do you want to get out of here?”

Dan hesitated before nodding. Phil swayed out of the booth, unaware of Dan’s guiding him to his feet.

* * *

“We’re not dating, you know?”

Dan’s face scrunched up, confused. He caught Phil by the elbow as he stumbled over the last step before his feet hit the pavement.

“What?”

“Me and Lily. We’re not… a thing.”

“Oh.” 

Dan’s answer was a forced kind of emotionless. There was something he wanted to say. Phil had seen this look before, but he’d already starting walking, directing Phil in which way to go.

* * *

Despite the warmth from the alcohol, Phil could still feel the chill in the air. With a shiver, he voiced this and Dan laughed.

“You have a nice laugh.”

Dan stopped, giving a look Phil wouldn’t have been able to decipher even if he was sober.

“Thank you.”

With that he kept walking, making sure to stay by Phil’s side. The alcohol was making Phil feel bold. Bold and stupid. 

He reached down and grabbed Dan’s hand, intertwining their fingers without even a second thought. Dan’s steps faltered, slowing down briefly before squeezing his hand back around Phil’s. Neither one of them said anything, but Phil supposed there was really nothing to say.


End file.
